NBA Draft 2021: Player breakdowns from Jimmy V. Classic doubleheader

Baylor

Jared Butler – 6’3 – 190 lbs – Sophomore

Suggs was the best prospect at the event, but Butler is the guy I was most excited to watch. He had a legitimate chance to go round one in the 2020 draft but elected to come back and lead an elite Baylor team.

Butler was actually bigger than I realized. Baylor switched a ton on defense, but Butler took the responsibility of guarding Ayo Dosunmu primarily. He used his deceptive length to get three steals.

It wasn’t Butler’s best game on the other end. He was 6-18 from the field and 0-4 from three. I’m not concerned with Butler’s shot long term as he shot 38.5 from deep last season and is at 43.5 percent this season.

Even on an off-shooting night, the flashes of brilliance were there. Butler was a maestro in pick-and-roll, toying with Illini bigs all night.

Butler’s handle is special with great pacing and awareness of the defenders around him. He’s got a multitude of dribble moves to go around defenders and does a great job of staying low to the ground.

If Butler had declared last season, he’s certainly a guy that would have been drafted and he had a chance to go in the first round. But he elected to return and while this class is deeper, it doesn’t have as many true point guards. Good teams looking for guard depth in the late first-round should probably consider Butler, who will have many big games to present his skills moving forward.

Davion Mitchell – 6’2, 195 lbs – Junior

Mitchell was the big winner of the Jimmy V. Classic after pouring in 15 points on 4-5 shooting from deep. While watching Jared Butler film, Mitchell caught my eye as a name to monitor. He’s got good athleticism and length to compensate for being only 6’2.

Mitchell’s role last season was to play off Butler and then run the offense when he sits, while also guarding the opposing team’s best player. People around the Baylor program call him Davion “Off Day” Mitchell because of how many elite guards he shut down last season.

“Off Day” was at it again on against Illinois, swallowing their guards any chance he got. Watching Trent Frazier trying to dribble against him is how I envision myself dribbling in Kawhi Leonard’s vicinity. Baylor’s second-half run that put the Illini away, was started by his on-ball defense.

I wanted to see Mitchell take strides on offense and he did just that. After shooting only 32% from three last season, he’s up to 58.3% through three games. That will obviously regress, but I was impressed with his ability to shoot off the dribble and he hit an off movement three as well.

Mitchell has also made a leap as a playmaker. He’s averaging over six assists per game. He’s good at reading defenses, particularly in pick-and-roll scenarios. He threw a couple of lob passes with good touch, and found shooters on the wing. If Mitchell continues to create, he needs to be taken more seriously as a prospect.

While Mitchell was quite good in Indy, he’s still a flawed prospect. He’s definitely not an NBA point guard and is undersized for a two-guard. He’s also already 22 years old. I do think he has equity as a three-and-D off-ball guard, who can guard the opposing team’s best backcourt player on one end and hit shots on the other. But at 22, I’m not sure that warrants a first-round pick. He’ll absolutely make my next board and I am excited to watch him moving forward.